The Last of Us Part II is undoubtedly shaping up to be one of the finest PS4 games ever made.
Sony recently announced a February 2020 release date for The Last of Us Part 2, which means there’s less than six months to wait for this blockbuster exclusive to hit the shelves.
But despite being treated to some absolutely gorgeous visuals and thrilling gameplay moments, it’s not all good news for Last of Us fans.
Indeed, Sony and developer Naughty Dog have dealt a blow to fans of the original game’s multiplayer component.
In a statement on Twitter, Naughty Dog said that multiplayer won’t feature in The Last of Us 2.
“We wanted to address multiplayer in The Last of Us Part II,” the statement reads.
“As we’ve stated, the single-player campaign is far and away the most ambitious project Naughty Dog has ever undertaken. Likewise, as development began on the evolution of our Factions mode from The Last of Us Part I, the vision of the team grew beyond an additional mode that could be included with our enormous single player campaign.
“Wanting to support both visions, we made the difficult choice that The Last of Us Part II would not include an online mode.”
But it’s not all bad news, because Naughty Dog hinted that the popular multiplayer component could make an appearance further down the line.
Perhaps we might even see Factions make its debut on the PS5, which is tipped to launch in 2020.
“However, you may eventually experience the fruits of our team’s online ambition, but not as part of The Last of Us Part II,” the post continues.
“When and where it will be realised is still to be determined. But rest assured, we are as big a fan of Factions as the rest of our community and are excited to share more when it’s ready.”
PS4 owners can prepare for the release of the sequel by picking up The Last of Us Remastered with PS Plus.
Sony recently announced the PlayStation Plus free PS4 games for October 2019, which includes the aforementioned Naughty Dog release.
MLB The Show 19 will also be available for PS Plus subscribers in October.
If you enjoy The Last of Us Remastered and want to pre-order the sequel, Sony has announced multiple editions of the game, including a bumper version containing a replica of Ellie’s backpack, her bracelet and a 12-inch statue of the iconic character.